Government extends its control over all media
Reporters Without Borders regrets that President Alexander Lukashenko signed a decree establishing extensive control over Internet access and online content. The decree is due to take effect on 1 July.
«The fears we expressed at the start of last month (see release below) have been realised," Reporters Without Borders said. «The Belarusian authorities are trying to tighten their control over the Internet as they already did with the traditional media.»
The press freedom organisation added: «By subjecting online access to an identity check or to prior online authorisation that depends on the content and the applicant, this decree will force people to censor themselves. This is obviously the intention, regardless of the government’s insincerely reassuring comments about online free expression.»
...
The government made no bones about its goal of ideological censorship when it said it intended to follow the Chinese model. Usievalad Yancheuski, head of the ideological department in the president’s office, also made it clear when he said: «Our ideology will have a presence on the Internet, and it will be an effective one." Such comments give the lie to Lukashenko’s claims that everyone will be free to say what they want online.
These measures appear also designed to reinforce the government’s political control in the
